Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-22
HOUSES FILLED WITH GAS.
Two Explosions and People Pol
soned I'm New York.

and Eighty-hfth streets were troubled
by the all-pervading smell Of illumi-
mating gas. People on the lower floors
got the headache, and nearly every one
looked at the gas-burners in his flat TO
see if there was a leak. but none was
found.
Roundsman Dennis w. Griffin lives
in the second story of 1921, on the west
side of the street At about 81 o'clock
his son Willie, boy of twelve, started
down stairs with the ashes from the
kitchen range, Lizzie, a bright-eyed
girl of four, going along. 1t was very
dark in the cellar where Willie had to
put the ashes i'll a barrel, and so he car
RED acandle with him. 1t was SO dark in
the cellar that little Lizzie stopped on
the basement-steps while Willie went on
down. No sooner had he reached
the bottom of the stairway than
every one i'll that and the
two adjoining houses were startled
by the sound of an explosion, and the
children who were playing around the
hall door saw the cover of the coal-hole
in the sidewalk rise up three or four
feet on the top of a column of flame,
and then tumble back and roll into the
gutter, while Willie Griffin came rush
ing up out of the cellar screaming with
pain and carrying Lizzie, who was
screaming from sympathy. Willie was
an awful sight, for his face and hands
were black, his eyebrows and part of
his hair gone, and his clothes were on
fire. The gas which every one had
smelled all day in that block had ac-
cumulated in that cellar and had been
exploded by the boys candle.
Every child yelled " Fire " at the
top of its lungs, The screams of her
children brought Mrs. Griffin down
stairs in hurry, followed by her hus-
band. They found Willie lying on the
sidewalk writhing with pain, the little
one still held in his arms. The father
carried his boy to Kahn's drugstore
on the corner, where the druggist APP
piled such soothing ointments as would
suit the injury. Then Mr.. Griffin ran
back to get his other children out of
the building, which he supposed was
on fire. Finding il all safe he ran for
doctor.
In the mean time Willie had been
eased bit by the application made by
the druggist. As soon as he could get
his breath for word he said
I'm awful glad Lizzie didn't get
burnt. I'd rather been burnt mp than
have her hurtcd so. >
The physician. DR.. F. VI. Bauer. had
the boy taken home. He found the
wounds serious. but not likely to be
fatal. The eyes, which were at first
despaired of. will he saved. A singu
lar fact is that at the extreme rear of
the basement a gas-iet burned all the
evening.
At about II O'Clock Tuesday night
Henry Bauer. II barber, twenty-one
years old, employed by Isaac Meyer,
who keeps a shop at 1926, Just across
the avenue from where the explosion
took place, went to bed in little back
room partitioned off at the rear of the
barber-shop. Meyer had had his shop
painted, and so the dlsagreeable odor
which everybody noticed in the shop
was laid to the paint. Bauer brought
in pail of fresh water and put it at
the head of his bed to absorb what he
thought was the smell of turpentine.
In the four rooms back of the barber
shop lived Mrs. Carrie McGeery, a
widow, and her two young sons. These
three people went to bed thinking the
BARRIERS paint was not very pleasant
either. If Butcher Julius Schwartz
hadn't learned in time that it was gas
instead of paint they smelled all four
would probably have been su1ocated.
Mr.. Schwartz and his wife and three
children live overthe store at No. l62S.
He noticed at II O'Clock Tuesday night
that his youngest child, boy of two,
was very restless, and soon began to
vomit. Then the two other children
were taken sick in the same way, and
| Mr.. Schwartz went to the window and
orened ii, ana noticed that the air
seemed singularly refreshing, and that
| the children at once seemed to be
easier. However, his wife soon became
sick in spite of the fresh air, and he
! had an unaccountable bad feeling him
self. He dressed himself and went TO
Kahn's drugstore. Mr.. Kahn remem-
bered the gas explosion, and concluded
that the Schwartz family was sutiocs-
ting. He gave Mr.. Schwartz proper
remedy. and told him to open the cellar
doors and all other doors in the house.
This led them to think OF Mrs. Me-
Geery in the rear rooms and The barber
| in the shop No amount OF noise would
tout out the barber, and accordingly
the side doer WAS broken open. Bauer
was stretched out on the bed un-
conscious and frothing at the mouth.
Mrs. McGeeIy and her two boys were
rs badly of. They were placed where
fresh air would reach them, and then
the police and the Presbyterian aplbu-
lances were summoned. At the hospital
Yesterday afternoon it was said that
all were likely 10 recover, although
Mrs. McGeery was affected the most.
Nicholas Meyer, grocer'e clerk at
1927 Second avenue, went down into
the basement, which extends under the
sidewalk, TO get some goods yesterday
afternoon, and. finding the light in
| sufficient, struck a match. A tremen-
dous explosion followed, and Meyer
rushed up the stairs, the worst fright
sned grocery clerk in town. Mr..
Henke, the proprietor, had seen the
cover of his coal-hole in the front side
walk rise up, as the cover had risen the
night before at 1921, and at once sup
posed that the entire cellar was on fire.
No damage was done.
Roundsman Griffin notified the gas
company yesterday morning, and gang
Of men began tearing up the pavement
in search OF the leak in the main. which
was supposed 10 be the cause Of the
trouble. But one man could work at
time in the trench which they had dug
by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and only
foY short time. They took turns at
intervals OF five minutes. A spectator
who stood close 10 the trench was over
come by the gas.
There are three mains in the street,
bat only one trench was dug.